45th National Para Games Kick Off in Busan with 9,805 Participants

Until November 5:
Fair Competition Across 31 Sports

Sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and hosted by the Korea Paralympic Committee, the 45th National Para Games will be jointly organized by the Busan Metropolitan Government, Busan Metropolitan Office of Education, and Busan Disabled Sports Association. The event will take place throughout Busan from October 31 to November 5.

The National Para Games, first held in 1981, is the largest stage in Korea for athletes with disabilities to showcase their talents. Since 2016, the event has also included a club division to discover new para-athletes and further broaden the base of participation.

This year's event, under the slogan "One Korea in the Global Hub City of Busan," will see a total of 9,805 participants (6,106 athletes and 3,699 officials and staff) from 17 cities and provinces across the country. The teams are divided into the athlete division and the club division, competing in a total of 31 sports.

Many medalists who demonstrated the strength of Korean para sports with outstanding performances at the 2024 Paris Paralympics are also expected to participate. In particular, as this competition serves as a prelude to the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games scheduled for September next year, it is anticipated that future national team athletes who will shine at the Asian Para Games will also take part.

The opening ceremony will be held on October 31 at Busan Asiad Main Stadium and will be broadcast live on KBS N TV. Kim Daehyun, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will attend the opening ceremony and officially declare the start of the event.

All matches of this year's Games are open to the public free of charge, and every event can also be viewed on the Korea Paralympic Committee's internet broadcast. Detailed information, including schedules and venues for each sport, can be found on the official website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.